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September 14-15th, 2013 Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai - JUKAI COMMENCES

TODAY'S JUKAI MARKS THE STARTLESS-START OF OUR SEWING AND PRECEPT REFLECTIONS FOR OUR JUKAI (UNDERTAKING THE PRECEPTS) IN JANUARY.

I also would like to dedicate today's Zazenkai, and all our Jukai Preparations, to our members Gina and Rafael's dear mothers, who left this visible world this week, and to all our members who have suffered loss or illness recently.

... and to be visible at the following link during those times and sit-a-long-able any time thereafter ...

LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST at GOOGLE+ IS HERE:CLICK ON THE TAB ON LOWER RIGHT FOR 'FULL SCREEN

FOR THOSE NOT ALREADY MEMBERS OF THE CIRCLE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, INSTRUCTIONS ARE POSTED AT THIS LINK. WE ARE NOW LIMITED TO 10 INDIVIDUALS WITH CAMERAS, BUT ANY NUMBER CAN WATCH LIVE 'ONE WAY' AND SIT-A-LONG VIA THE ABOVE SCREEN. IF JOINING WITH CAMERA, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS MUTED:

As you can see, our Zazenkai consists of chanting the 'Heart Sutra' in English (the words are at the link below), some full floor prostrations in sets of three (please follow along with me ... or a simple Gassho can be substituted if you wish), followed by our Dedication, Zazen twice for about 30 minutes each, with 10 minutes of Kinhin in between, and we end the sitting with 'The Verse of Atonement' and 'The Four Vows'.

Please download and print out the Chants we will recite at the following link (PDF):

I graduate tonight from my almost-year-long course of yoga teacher training. So, I will miss the live Zazenkai. I will sit the replay as soon as I get home, and be back live again next Friday. Deep bows to all.

I graduate tonight from my almost-year-long course of yoga teacher training. So, I will miss the live Zazenkai. I will sit the replay as soon as I get home, and be back live again next Friday. Deep bows to all.

Gassho,
William

Congratulations William!

Maybe I can ask you to sometime record a simple Youtube Yoga lesson (for non-Yoga folks like me) that we can use to loosen up midway through our 2-Day Rohatsu Retreat in December?

Maybe I can ask you to sometime record a simple Youtube Yoga lesson (for non-Yoga folks like me) that we can use to loosen up midway through our 2-Day Rohatsu Retreat in December?

Gassho, J

I would be honored and happy to do this. I do not presently have a YouTube account, but I will open one. I will speak with you later about the length of the lesson you are looking for and design something appropriate.

I will not be there live tonight, but traveling out in the islands as part of my service project. I will be sitting (I am taking my robes!) and will hold those who are dear to us (and those who have left the visible world) in my heart.

Congratulations William!

Deep bows
Yugen

Last edited by Yugen; 09-13-2013 at 09:04 PM.

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Please take all my comments with a grain of salt - I am a novice priest and anything I say is to be taken with a good dose of skepticism - Shodo Yugen

I will not be there live tonight, but traveling out in the islands as part of my service project. I will be sitting (I am taking my robes!) and will hold those who are dear to us (and those who have left the visible world) in my heart.

Deep bows
Yugen

Enjoy your travels to the islands Yugen ... will keep a zafu warm for you.

Gassho
Shingen

倫道 真現

As a trainee priest, please take any commentary by me on matters of the Dharma with a pinch of salt.

We had a fellow sitting today from an Islamic culture who was a bit concerned about how our Rituals fit into his religion, so during the Ceremony and such I was trying to explain things and make him comfortable. You may notice that I did not have the Buddha Statue in the Altar today. I told him it is just a reminder, wood, and that the empty space is fine (as in a Mosque). In fact, what he feels in his heart is most vital, and it was fine for him to Pray to Allah during our Chanting.

We had a fellow sitting today from an Islamic culture who was a bit concerned about how our Rituals fit into his religion, so during the Ceremony and such I was trying to explain things and make him comfortable. You may notice that I did not have the Buddha Statue in the Altar today. I told him it is just a reminder, wood, and that the empty space is fine (as in a Mosque). In fact, what he feels in his heart is most vital, and it was fine for him to Pray to Allah during our Chanting.

Gassho, J

Very nice ... nice to see him there, even knowing he was feeling concerned.

Gassho
Shingen

倫道 真現

As a trainee priest, please take any commentary by me on matters of the Dharma with a pinch of salt.

We had a fellow sitting today from an Islamic culture who was a bit concerned about how our Rituals fit into his religion, so during the Ceremony and such I was trying to explain things and make him comfortable. You may notice that I did not have the Buddha Statue in the Altar today. I told him it is just a reminder, wood, and that the empty space is fine (as in a Mosque). In fact, what he feels in his heart is most vital, and it was fine for him to Pray to Allah during our Chanting.

Gassho, J

Hope he liked to sit with us.

There's a sit for everyone at the Treeleaf Zen Café

Gassho,

Kyonin

Please remember I am only a priest in training. I could be wrong in everything I say. Slap me if needed.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one. Mr. Spock

We had a fellow sitting today from an Islamic culture who was a bit concerned about how our Rituals fit into his religion, so during the Ceremony and such I was trying to explain things and make him comfortable. You may notice that I did not have the Buddha Statue in the Altar today. I told him it is just a reminder, wood, and that the empty space is fine (as in a Mosque). In fact, what he feels in his heart is most vital, and it was fine for him to Pray to Allah during our Chanting.

I forgot to post, but I sat this zazenkai with everyone on Tuesday. It was the first time I've sat a zazenkai in a while. It was great to do it and to see everyone. It was refreshing. I sort of wanted to hear what Jundo was saying to the new guy, just because those things for new folks are often the most helpful for us never-old-always-new-guys/gals too.